Ticket Ordering for 2011

[redstu]

Ah that's interesting, maybe I should have
asked for bn instead of mb!
I foolishly believed that as an aco member
I'd actually get advance booking, think I'll have
to go and flog myself with a length of
1.5 mm twin & earth for being so stupid!

[Steve Pyro]

4 mm SWA would be better!

[smokie]

Got an email at the end of last week from the luscious (??) Caroline at the ACO

"You are a “regular” client for many years and it has been decided to open orders for the  2011 “24 Heures du Mans”, exclusively for ACO members and this until the November 4th (within the limit of available seats).
However, we realized that you were not member of the ACO.
We therefore invite you to join our club to benefit from this advantage." and so on.

It finishes "In case you would not take a membership, your assigned seats will be cancelled and returned for sale but we won’t miss to contact you if they become available."

So the magic list is dead... Interesting that if I'd still been an ACO member it would appear to still be working though!

Seems basic membership is €39 a year - almost worth paying if there will be demand for my spare tickets...(can factor that into cost)?

[Steve Pyro]

I don't think the basic 39 scoobies membership gives you any discount of tickets.  Just discounted merchandise.

http://www.passion-24.org/htm/passion.asp

[smokie]

Ah yes, €98 for €96 of savings on tickets... and other goodies http://www.passion-24.org/htm/passion_24_vip.asp?

[geoffd]

I emailed a question about availability of ACO grandstand tickets and how parking blanc is allocated and got the followign reply;-

Dear Sir, Dear Madam,

We acknowledge receipt of your request for tickets for the 2011 “24 Heures du Mans”, for which we thank you.
Your specific requirements are in addition to the hundreds of orders we have received from ACO members, and which are currently being handled.
You will be receiving a reply concerning your allocation within the next few weeks.

Kindest regards,

                                                                                                                  The Ticket office.

Does this mean they are giving up on the online system?  God only knows!

[redstu]

just received this :


2011-24 Heures du Mans ticket office :
Exceptional extra time for ACO members !
 
 
Since October 11th, the opening date of the ticket office for the 2011-24 Heures du Mans, reserved exclusively for ACO members, a lot of you have contacted us to benefit from this advantage.

Face with a flood of requests, the ACO has the pleasure to inform you that we are extending, until December 1st 2010, this offer of priority access reserved for ACO members. The orders which have already been received or which are to come, will be handled as each one arrives, subject to availability.

So, do not waste any time:

• www.lemans.org: the ACO website for your online bookings and payments

Kind regards,

Your Club


So hopefully this means that if you have faxed or emailed your request it will be dealt with, and of course you will be offered BSJ !
 

[pretzel]

just received this :


2011-24 Heures du Mans ticket office :
Exceptional extra time for ACO members !
 
 
Since October 11th, the opening date of the ticket office for the 2011-24 Heures du Mans, reserved exclusively for ACO members, a lot of you have contacted us to benefit from this advantage.

Face with a flood of requests, the ACO has the pleasure to inform you that we are extending, until December 1st 2010, this offer of priority access reserved for ACO members. The orders which have already been received or which are to come, will be handled as each one arrives, subject to availability.

So, do not waste any time:

• www.lemans.org: the ACO website for your online bookings and payments

Kind regards,

Your Club

Likewise, although I had already given up on the online system after numerous attempts. I could not select any ACO grandstand tickets. Kept getting the message (en Francaise) that I did not have sufficient credit??

Eventually decided to phone the ticket office and spoke to Celine who was extremely helpful and very apologetic for all the problems.

Note: if you are thinking of phoning do not ring the 39 cents a minute number published on the flyers and marketing e-mails - you will never get through, and will be probably be charged for each connection only to hear a recorded message 'all of our operators are currently busy, please call again later.....'.

Ring the ACO head office number +33 243 402424 and ask to be transferred to the ticket office.

[DelBoy]

Just had another look at the ACO site - 2 changes!!

ACO Grandstand (T18) - there are seats available

Another camp site has been added - 'Holly'.  WTF is that?

Del

[Jules G]

Another camp site has been added - 'Holly'.  WTF is that?

Del, probably an extension Beausjour

JG

[Lawnmower Man]

Just had another look at the ACO site - 2 changes!!

ACO Grandstand (T18) - there are seats available

Another camp site has been added - 'Holly'.  WTF is that?

Del

Not any more there isn't!!!  ACO & T17 I mean.

[Grand_Fromage]

As you have probably worked out, the ACO's ticketing division has recently overhauled and improved its on-line ticket purchasing system. They pulled out all the stops to get it ready in time for the 2011 'on sale' deadline. If you have problems then they will respond. I know that the language barrier can be problematic but be assured that they do care about us! The ACO is not as big or as rich as the SNCF, but the permutations of ticket types and means of delivery are almost as complex!

GF

Just had another look at the ACO site - 2 changes!!

ACO Grandstand (T18) - there are seats available

Another camp site has been added - 'Holly'.  WTF is that?

Del

Not any more there isn't!!!  ACO & T17 I mean.

[DelBoy]

Just had another look at the ACO site - 2 changes!!

ACO Grandstand (T18) - there are seats available

Another camp site has been added - 'Holly'.  WTF is that?

Del

Not any more there isn't!!!  ACO & T17 I mean.

You're right, Tom.  But yesterday it deffo said seats were available.  I was so astounded that I came out and went back in for a second look.  Didn't try to order any though!

'Holly' has also disappeared (it was in the Green area) - in fact they have changed the site a bit.  Instead of showing a camp site and saying it's sold out if you try to book it, the index now does'nt give you the option of looking - a big red block saying 'BOOK' has appeared instead.

I guess I happened to catch it as they were testing some amendments.  I emailed the ACO asking where Holly was (in the description it said it was on the inside of the circuit), and they responded this morning saying they have no such area!!

Del

[Kpy]

As you have probably worked out, the ACO's ticketing division has recently overhauled and improved its on-line ticket purchasing system. They pulled out all the stops to get it ready in time for the 2011 'on sale' deadline. If you have problems then they will respond. I know that the language barrier can be problematic but be assured that they do care about us! The ACO is not as big or as rich as the SNCF, but the permutations of ticket types and means of delivery are almost as complex!

GF

Touching faith in the ACO, but misplaced.
When I couldn't get the on-line system to work for me I popped down to see the charming girl who runs the ACO branch office in Rouen. She told me that she had the same problems and, much more worryingly, that all branch managers had been told in the week prior to October 11 that ALL campsites apart from the Yellow ones and the members Rouge site were already fully allocated. They were all told that they could only have the same tickets they'd had for 2010 (already ordered and sold to this years recipients of course).
Effectively the "priority booking" for members is a con, offering members no more than the range of tickets that was available for the 2010 race in April/May of this year and she's very upset since she had persuaded people to join the club on the promise of "priority booking".

[Grand_Fromage]

I had a (very small) part in the launch of the new ticketing system and I've worked on and off for the ACO for the last ten years or so. What you might already know is that selling tickets for the 24 hours is not a major function of the ACO branch offices, particularly when you are talking about booking campsites. I can assure you that the ACO are not trying to con us as you are suggesting. What they do may not always work out as planned, but they DO have the members interests at heart. What they don't appreciate well enough is the fact that for most Brits who go to Le Mans, the social campsite experience is every bit as important as the racing (in some cases much more important). They have the idea that so long as you get a campsite place they have done enough, the location is not a big issue. They put much more importance on grandstand seating, and the members only period is geared around THAT rather than camping. I do my best to educate the frogs but as you know, you can always tell a Frenchman, but you can't tell him much!

As you have probably worked out, the ACO's ticketing division has recently overhauled and improved its on-line ticket purchasing system. They pulled out all the stops to get it ready in time for the 2011 'on sale' deadline. If you have problems then they will respond. I know that the language barrier can be problematic but be assured that they do care about us! The ACO is not as big or as rich as the SNCF, but the permutations of ticket types and means of delivery are almost as complex!

GF

Touching faith in the ACO, but misplaced.
When I couldn't get the on-line system to work for me I popped down to see the charming girl who runs the ACO branch office in Rouen. She told me that she had the same problems and, much more worryingly, that all branch managers had been told in the week prior to October 11 that ALL campsites apart from the Yellow ones and the members Rouge site were already fully allocated. They were all told that they could only have the same tickets they'd had for 2010 (already ordered and sold to this years recipients of course).
Effectively the "priority booking" for members is a con, offering members no more than the range of tickets that was available for the 2010 race in April/May of this year and she's very upset since she had persuaded people to join the club on the promise of "priority booking".